This easy homemade Blueberry Sauce recipe calls for just 5 simple ingredients and 15 minutes of time. It’s vibrantly colored and full of fresh, bright, sweet-tart flavor – the perfect topping for cheesecake, waffles, pancakes, and so much more!
One of my favorite ways to celebrate summertime blueberry season is with this easy homemade Blueberry Sauce recipe. With fresh blueberries plus a few simple ingredients, this sauce is perfectly thickened and ready to enjoy in just 15 minutes. It has a sweet-tart, sunshine-y flavor and its glossy, vibrant color is absolutely gorgeous however you serve it. We especially enjoy it as a blueberry topping for cheesecake, angel food cake, pancakes, and waffles!
Why We Love this Blueberry Sauce Recipe
One of our favorite summer road trips includes blueberry picking – we head south on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River, to Rush River Produce near Maiden Rock. There is simply nothing like just-picked blueberries. We eat them fresh, freeze some for later, make blueberry jam and my grandma’s blueberry muffins with crumb topping. And we always, always make a batch of this blueberry sauce – here’s why:
- So quick & easy. Requiring minimal ingredients and time, this simple recipe is a super rewarding way to enjoy fresh blueberries.
- Versatile. You can use this fresh fruit sauce so many ways – with appetizers, main entrees, breakfasts, desserts, and drinks. Scroll down to the section “Ways to Use Blueberry Sauce” for some delicious ideas!
- Tastes like summer. I plan our meals according to the seasons as much as possible, and this fresh blueberry sauce is a highlight for our family. It’s sweet, sweet summertime perfection!
What You’ll Need
As you can see, this recipe requires just a few ingredients. For the exact ingredient amounts, scroll down to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Blueberries – I always make this sauce using fresh blueberries. See my note in the next section about fresh vs. frozen blueberries.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar accents the berries’ natural sweet-tart flavor.
- Water – This helps to create a sauce-like consistency.
- Cornstarch – This ingredient thickens the sauce and makes it gorgeously glossy.
- Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract adds a little touch of warmth.
- Lemon juice – This is optional, but I like to squeeze in a little bit of fresh lemon juice. I like the brightness it adds!
Can I Use Frozen Blueberries?
I particularly love the super fresh flavor and texture of fresh blueberries in this homemade blueberry sauce recipe. But you can use frozen blueberries if you wish – no need to defrost the berries first. If your frozen berries have retained more moisture, you might need to make a little more cornstarch slurry to get your sauce to thicken a bit more.
How To Make Blueberry Sauce
I’ve included photos below to guide you through making this easy sauce. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Combine sugar and blueberries. Place the sugar and blueberries in a pot.
- Boil. Bring the mixture to a low boil.
- Add cornstarch; simmer. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the blueberry mixture, then simmer to thicken.
- Perfect blueberry sauce! Simmer until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, then stir in the vanilla and lemon juice.
Tips & Variations
Here are a few tips for the best sauce + some ways you can change it up:
- Use the best blueberries. For the very best flavor and texture, use the very best blueberries. The quality of the berries will definitely make a difference in the final sauce.
- Enjoy it fresh. This sauce has the best fresh texture and appearance when enjoyed right after you make it.
- Adjust the sugar. If you prefer a tarter sauce, use less sugar. On the other hand, if your blueberries are not overly sweet, you may wish to add a bit more sugar. Or, try honey or maple syrup in place of the sugar for a different flavor profile.
- Blend. I don’t call for blending this blueberry sauce because I prefer the texture and slight chunkiness you get from using whole blueberries. However, if you prefer a blended sauce, you can place it in a food processor or use an immersion blender to puree it. Just know that your sauce will still have some texture (won’t be completely smooth).
- Make it a mixed-berry sauce. You can use this general recipe to make a blueberry-berry sauce (try a mix of blueberries and blackberries, strawberries, and/or raspberries) or swap the blueberries for another berry.
Ways To Use Blueberry Sauce
I already mentioned a few ways that we like to use this blueberry sauce, as the sauce is fabulously versatile. But I’ll put all my ideas right here in the same place – here you go!
- Blueberry butter. This blueberry sauce is the starting place for my whipped blueberry butter, a fun and fluffy fruit spread that’s perfect on toast, biscuits, and more.
- Yogurt. Add a big spoon of this fresh fruit sauce to a bowl of yogurt, with a sprinkle of homemade granola.
- Cottage cheese. What a lovely little breakfast or snack, cottage cheese topped with a big spoonful of fresh blueberry sauce!
- Cheese plate. Serve this gorgeous fruit sauce with cheese and crackers, or add a small bowl of it to a charcuterie board.
- Waffles. Spoon blueberry sauce over blueberry waffles or Belgian waffles. Or try my yeast waffles or buttermilk waffles recipes.
- Pancakes. Pancakes are another great breakfast option. Try it with my family’s favorite buttermilk pancakes (photo above) or cottage cheese pancakes.
- Crepes. Spread some sauce inside my easy French crepes before folding them and then spoon some over the top for a pretty finish!
- Ice cream. Spoon pretty blueberry sauce over big scoops of vanilla ice cream or add extra blueberry goodness to bowls of crème fraîche blueberry ice cream.
- Cake. Offer a bowl of blueberry sauce alongside angel food cake, lemon pound cake, or cream cheese pound cake.
- Cheesecake. This is an awesome blueberry sauce for cheesecake! Serve this sauce with my blueberry cheesecake bars or Oreo cheesecake bars.
Proper Storage
I like to make this blueberry sauce shortly before enjoying it, but you can certainly make it ahead of time and/or save any leftovers for another day. Here’s how to store it:
- Fridge – Place the cooled sauce in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer – Transfer the sauce to an airtight, freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the sauce completely in the fridge before serving.
- To Serve – Note that the sauce does set up a bit after being stored in the fridge. To loosen it up, let the sauce sit on the counter to come to room temperature before serving. If it’s thicker than you’d like, stir a bit of water or lemon juice into it to thin it out.
More Blueberry Recipes To Try
- Blueberry Dump Cake
- Blueberry Tea Cake
- Blueberry Crumble Bars
- Blueberry Lemonade
- Blueberry Margarita Recipe
Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh blueberries
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved into 2 tablespoons water to create a slurry
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, optional
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine blueberries, water, and sugar. Stirring regularly, bring mixture to a low boil.
- Stir cornstarch slurry into bubbling blueberry mixture. Reduce heat to low and let sauce simmer until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. For a thicker sauce, cook a bit longer. For a thinner sauce, stir in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla. For a touch of brightness, stir in 1 or more tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional). Serve warm or at room temperature, spooned over pancakes, waffles, cheesecake, and more!
I made this blueberry sauce for pancakes.. It turned out delicious! The ratio of the ingredients work perfectly together. This recipe is highly recommended.
Yay!!! So happy you like this recipe. Thanks for coming back here to let me know and to rate it! :)
I made this blueberry sauce and it was delicious. Poured it on pancakes and over ice cream. I’ve never made any kind of sauce made out of fruit before. It turned out better than expected. With this new knowledge I’ll be experimenting with other fruit as well. Ty!
So happy you liked this!!